The Sarrans are back and they are angry. They heard from their fems that women on Earth are abused. Horrified, they made it part of their mission to rescue these women from their abusers.

Mark and Juraens lead the delegation to negotiate for fems, cats, chocolates, and coffee in exchange for gold and Sarran technology. They have an extra incentive -- they both sensed their Bonded is on Earth.

Sara Hayden, the wife of up-and-coming politician, is being beaten with a baseball bat when Mark and Juraens hear her son’s psychic scream. They teleport to render aid and discover Sara is their fem.

Now they must get her and her son Michael away from her abusive spouse, and convince her father, senator and would-be presidential candidate Sam Johnson, to join them.

Fortunately Sara’s cat Chou adopts them wholeheartedly. While they are recruiting cats for Sarran, a beat-up tomcat named Aloysius and a grey kitten called Shadow join them on their quest.

EXCERPT:Note: may contain sexually explicit scenes of a homoerotic nature.

Mark sat up shaking and shouting in the middle of sleeptine. He looked at the clock and it was twenty-two tines. He shook Juraens shoulder who shouted a moment later. “He’s torturing our fem. We need to go. She’s badly beaten, she may not make it. Call the PsyOps troopers. We’re going to need help.”

Mark and Juraens followed their fems’ screams and transported themselves into a hallway leading into a slumber chamber. Their fem was on the floor protecting her offspring from a huge angry man wielding a baseball bat. A cat was bravely trying to fight him off and get him away from the two of them.

The PsyOps troops were right behind them. Mark looked down, the Siamese cat moved and stood protectively over a very young offspring. The PsyOps troops held the husband at bay. “Take him to the brig and call Dukes Saxon and Lunas to notify the Earthen authorities. Tell him to ask for Morgan. This is his number.”

With a thought, Mark and Juraens transported their fem, the offspring, and their cat up to sickbay.

The doctor met them and gently took their fem from Juraens’ arms. The offspring cried pitifully, holding onto Mark for dear life. “Daddy hurt Mommie bad this time. I hate him. I want him to go away. He hurt me and Chou, too.” Mark tried to comfort the little one while at the same time see through Juraens’ mind what went on in the bed above him. The Sarran physician was going to do microscopic surgery and put their fem into a healing chamber.

Mark stood still holding the offspring. The Sarran doctor worked feverishly in the bed above him. He knelt down, his legs rubbery and began to examine the offspring. He was badly bruised and crying.

Mark gave a mental shout to bring another doctor to his side. He would care for the offspring so Juraens could concentrate on their fem. ::It’s bad, Juraens, her hold on life is fragile.::

The cat, forgotten in all the commotion, rubbed up against Mark’s sleep pants. ::I am Chou. I will stay with the little one and the doctor while you see to my person.::

There was a bleak note in his mind voice. ::I bit and scratched him. I tried to protect her. He was supposed to be gone all week. He came home and found me sleeping in his bed and because of that he tried to kill her. I did this to my person. I tried to keep Michael away from him. I failed.:: The cat’s mind voice was raw, as if he knew how bad his person was hurt.

::Chou, you did nothing but try to protect your person. With that bat, even you, brave warrior that you are, could not prevail.::

::I will stay with Michael. Go to your lover and my person. Help him heal her. Without you, she has no chance.::